VIRGINIA — Several new laws will go into effect July 1, 2025, including:
Virginia law now requires all occupants of motor vehicles to be restrained, regardless of where they are seated. Children under age 8 must be secured in a property child safety seat. Rear-facing child seats must still be placed in the back seat of a vehicle.
People who qualify for unemployment benefits will see an increase of $52 more per week.
Due to the similarities to sports betting, No one under 21 can take part in a “fantasy sports contest”
No food vendor of any type shall dispense prepared food to a customer in an expanded polystyrene food service container. Any person who violates any provision shall be assessed a civil penalty of not more than $50 for each day of such violation.
Maximum fees to jump from $150 to $210.
School boards must update cyberbullying policies to include off-campus online behavior.
Schools are required to notify parents of a student who overdosed on campus or at a school activity within 24 hours of the incident.
An employer shall pay each employee an overtime premium at a rate not less than one and one-half times the employee’s regular rate for any hours worked by an employee in excess of 40 hours in any one workweek.
Drivers must stop for pedestrians crossing within or near their lane at marked crosswalks, sidewalks at block ends, or intersections where speed limits are 35 mph or less. Passing a stopped vehicle yielding to pedestrians is prohibited.
Pedestrians must not cross against traffic and always have the right-of-way at intersections when vehicles are turning.
Violations causing serious injury or death to vulnerable pedestrians are considered a Class 1 misdemeanor.
Speed cameras are permitted in school zones and work zones. A $100 civil penalty is assessed for speeding violations detected by speed cameras. For new speed camera installations after July 1, 2025, a 30-day warning period will be in effect before citations are issued.
Includes activities like spinning wheels while stationary, unnecessary zigzagging, drag racing, or carrying passengers on the hood or roof. Penalties now include
Racing: 6 months to 2 years
Exhibition driving: Up to 6 months
Riding on hood/roof Class 3 misdemeanor
Riding on hood/roof and/or blocking traffic Class 1 misdemeanor
Public K-12 schools now have a “bell-to-bell” cell phone-free policy, meaning students are generally prohibited from using cell phones from the start to the end of the school day, including during lunch and between classes.
Businesses must now include all mandatory fees in the advertised price, not just the base price. This includes fees that are required to purchase the advertised good or service and are not reasonably avoidable.
Increased penalty (Class 6 felony) for placing symbols like swastikas on property to intimidate others.
Increased penalty (Class 6 felony). Mail theft will be a state crime punishable by up to five years in prison.